In January of 2016 I went out and bought a puppy which I named Remy, mainly because I liked the name and slightly after my favourite X-men Remy Le Beau aka Gambit. It was a relatively rash decision based on the fact I was living in a tiny studio flat on my own with limited funds. I do not however, regret a moment of it, even if those moments included being weed in the middle of the night because she couldn’t jump down onto the floor, or the time I had to clean up her poo, which was the consistency of melted chocolate ice- cream but no where near as nice smelling. She’s now over a year and a half old and I couldn’t imagine my life without her.
I can’t deny it hasn’t been expensive to own her and that I have at times struggled to get by. When I first brought her home there was the cost of puppy training classes and premium food, vets bills for injections and diarrhoea, eventually the cost of getting her spayed as well. Now, there is the weekly cost of the dog walker to take her out while my boyfriend and I are out at work. So while there is a continued expense- more so than than both the cats combined, there has also been benefits.
Having a dog has forced me to go out on increasingly longer walks in even the coldest, windiest and wettest of weathers, but also on beautiful summer days. This has had a lasting benefit on my health, both physically and mentally. Having suffered from depression, being forced to go out and get exercise and get out of my own head, was and is great. We have also been able to plan entire holidays around her, like our recent trip to Pooley Bridge in the Lake District. Staying in a luxury lodge that accommodates pets, we took her almost everywhere we went, including on the Ullswater Steamers and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.
Remy has made me laugh every single day with her antics and adorableness. She is the baby of the family and both my boyfriend and I have had separate moments where we have realised that owning a dog has greatly benefited us. So my recommendation is to get a dog, if you want to improve your health and happiness they are excellent pets to have and so loving, but I can’t stress this enough, they do take time and money and if you can’t give a dog this, then I recommend cats. Please do not buy or adopt without doing your research.
P.S. My boyfriend may say she is called Remy as it is short for Remington Von Wooflestein III it is categorically not the case.
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